'After fifteen years of hardship, why had I only reached D-rank?'
I remember a conversation I had with the squadron leader.
It was during a horde-killing mission on the 73rd floor.
We were chased by several Armageddon-type monsters and fell into a cave.
Perhaps impressed by my achievements, the squadron leader blurted out of nowhere.
"Hey, nephew. I had doubts about your strength before... I even went up to the legion commander to ask why on earth a D-rank like you was assigned to us? Did you f*ck the commander's mom or something? No matter how I look at it, it's suicide for both you and the team."
Leaning against the wall, I took out my bandages and relaxed my breathing.
To be honest, I did know about that incident.
'I'll ignore that one question...'
"But, I changed my mind."
The leader's face hardened, seemingly remembering the sight from before.
"You should be the leader instead. Clear-headed, decisive, strong, well-equipped... and most importantly, someone that would do anything to survive."
Caught off guard by his words, my hands suddenly stopped.
I raised my eyes to his and saw that he was completely serious.
'This guy...'
Feeling exhausted but happy, I shook my head and refused him.
"I'm still a D-rank, though, leader."
"A D-rank that can kill Armageddon-types..."
"Hard work. And besides, an Armageddon-type can kill me in one blow."
I replied slowly as I bandaged up my wounds.
"Haaa... that's true."
Hearing that, the leader sighed and made an unsatisfied expression.
"You know, if only you weren't f*cked up by the odds... no, if only the Dragons didn't go extinct yet, then... if you could raise your mana core's potential, you'd be a legion commander without a doubt. Hell, maybe even one of the leaders of the final conquest."
"That's a nice thought, but this is all we'll get."
I chuckled.
The squadron leader stared quietly for a moment. Just as it was starting to creep me out, he let out a long, forlorn sigh.
"It's a pity. A pity... if I could trade my mana core with your small one..."
"Don't be like that. We have to go."
Not wanting to deal with his sympathetic nonsense, I interrupted him and shook my head.
Before he could say anything, I gestured to the hole we had come from, and from there we saw a large silhouette...
===
In this world, people were born with different levels of talent.
I understood that better than most.
If there was the most talented, then there was the least talented.
I was the latter.
This fact was made painfully clear to me when I awakened in the Tower.
When others obtained a D-rank talent, I got a near-useless F-rank talent.
When others formed a mana core as big as a fist, I formed one as small as an egg.
Honestly, an F-rank talent was something I could deal with, but the mana core was the foundation of a Ranker.
It directly decided my fighting prowess and future potential.
Unfortunately, I awakened a pitifully small one.
So small that my potential could only reach up to D-rank.
A rank that most reached upon stepping foot on the 15th floor.
This problem was also the biggest hurdle in my past life.
With such a small mana core, I rarely lasted longer than a couple of minutes in fights, and could never hope to reach beyond D-rank.
That was why the leader said I was f*cked up by the odds.
The average ranker awakened a D-rank talent and a mana core that could reach up to B-rank.
The less talented awakened an E-rank talent and a mana core that could reach up to C-rank.
Then, there was I.
But it wasn't entirely hopeless.
By the time I reached D-rank, I found out that there was a way for me to break this limitation.
The Dragons.
A dragon, even the lesser kind, was an incarnation of pure mana.
A creature whose bodily organs are made up of mana.
It was said that their massive physical form is nothing but a manifestation of the mana inside them.
When they die, their bodies disintegrate and merge with the surrounding mana, forming a cycle of endless rebirth.
But what's most important was their heart—it was equivalent to a Ranker's mana core.
If I could've got my hands on one, then breaking through beyond D-rank was possible...!
Unfortunately, the Dragons somehow went extinct.
I rarely felt anguish, and that time was one of them.
I had climbed bitterly up to the 43rd floor, the Land of Dragons, only to be greeted by a desolate wasteland.
One could only imagine what I felt at that time.
Holding the precious [Lesser Dragon's Heart] in my hand, I felt my heart skip a beat.
"Even a lesser dragon can reach up to Armageddon-type... that's A-rank."
My eyes shone.
Reaching a new ceiling... the thought of that excited me.
A-rank!
'I'll have to prepare.'
As much as I wanted to consume it right here and now, I'd probably explode.
Being unawakened, any mana that enters me is equivalent to a heavy dose of the most potent poison.
I hid the [Lesser Dragon's Heart] in my system inventory.
"Haaa..."
Taking a deep breath, I cracked my neck and couldn't help but smile foolishly.
'This is terrible. I'm insanely excited.'
One fact about me: I was rarely pleased by anything, but when it did happen, it stuck with me for a while.
I let my joy bubble up for the moment and wait for it to settle down.
Simply letting time pass by, I found myself staring at the sky.
"It's blue."
The sky is blue.
How pretty.
...
Huh?
For a moment, I fell silent.
Since when was the sky this pretty?
Or rather, since when did I have the time to lie down and admire the sky?
Right...
Then, it struck me.
I've been thinking about what to do ever since I got back, but perhaps the reality hasn't settled in for me yet.
—I went back to the time when the world was still normal.
Normal.
If we go by its definition, then normal to me should be fighting demons and struggling to survive on a daily basis.
But for a person who once lived in a peaceful era, there was another kind of normal.
A normal entrenched in peaceful, everyday life.
When people woke up to their alarm clocks, stood up despite the drowsiness, and went to school or work.
When people slept in comfortable beds, thinking about what to do tomorrow.
When people felt embarrassed over the tiniest things, replaying them in the shower, before going to bed, and even the next morning.
When people loved, fought, and argued... but still cared for each other.
When people… were simply alive, doing nothing but living.
It's funny.
How this boring, normal living that I used to despise was going to be overthrown soon.
And now, all I could think of is how it's such a waste that I couldn't enjoy it to the fullest while it lasted.
I shook my head.
Humans tend to take things for granted once they get used to them.
Even the very act of living was no exception to this rule.
Suddenly, I felt the urge to cancel my preparations.
"... What to do..."
I mutter to myself.
It would be a waste to just lose out on the last day of the world being normal.
Instead, I'm going to enjoy my remaining time to the fullest.
'Right, didn't I use to play masocore or hardcore games?'
The last time I touched one of those was on the 32nd floor...
If I remember correctly, there's an arcade near the university.
Feeling refreshed, I stood up and opened the rooftop door—
... Huh?
"It's you!"
In front of me, a tall, beautiful girl stood with a pointed expression.
With long, silky brown hair and flawless skin. Sharp yet unguarded amethyst eyes, resembling a streak of northern lights... and a surprised expression that didn't mar her elegance in the slightest, but instead added a cute contrast to her beautiful, perfect face.
If the Tower of Ragnarok didn't exist, this might've been a prelude to a rather cute romantic fantasy.
'No, what am I thinking?'
I snapped out of it and stared at her in a lost manner.
Losing the skill [Great Charm Resistance] might've been a bigger loss than I thought...
Taking a step forward to look at my face better, she tiptoed before asking:
"Zold, right?"
"... Yes. How did you recognize me?"
I asked her calmly, tilting my head.
"How could I not recognize you..."
She replied as if it was very obvious, but by the end, her words had trailed off slightly.
"... The Madman of the Tower?"
'Oh yeah, I was known by that title...'
In truth, introductions are a must.
This girl right in front of me had a very special identity.
Special... no, to be precise, it's like being classmates with someone who was on the cover of TIME magazine multiple times.
Maria Schultz, one of the thirteen leaders of the Final Conquest.
More known by her legendary title—[Sword Empress].
Of course, right now, she was actually more known as the campus belle of the university.
"... It's an honor to meet you, milady Sword Empress."
Taking a step aside, I gave a small bow while addressing her respectfully.